Fashion & Islam – Do They Ever Coincide?

The Islamic faith has always had close connections with the world of fashion. Generally, this has been due to teachings in the Koran that direct Muslims in terms of how they should dress modestly, and the specific garments that they should wear. However, traditional Muslim fashion has not always been the most popular thing on the planet, especially amongst progressive Muslims who felt that covering up much of the body, but especially the face, did not help them to feel a part of society. This was felt across the whole of Islam, but definitely influenced women more than it did men.

Today, Islamic fashion is more popular than it has ever been before. We explored the reasons why this is the case.

Softened Attitudes

While it would be wrong to say that liberalism has taken over Islam and in particular fashion associated with the faith, there is definitely a much softer attitude that has prevailed in recent years. Previously, modest dress would mean that women should just be covered up, and there were no great garments in terms of stylishness and appearance.

Now, modern garments such as kaftan dresses and abayas are widely available and worn by thousands of Islamic women.

However, it is the impact that softer attitudes have had, rather than the event itself, which has been the catalyst for the explosion in popularity.

Contemporary Styling

Look at many of the common aspects of Muslim style today, from the garments we mentioned above to others such as capes and jackets, and you can see a sure influence of modern contemporary fashion. In fact, if you were to look at Islamic fashions without knowing what they were beforehand, you would be forgiven for thinking that they are items that have just been purchased from a leading fashion brand.

This means that Muslim women, in particular, are able to benefit from dressing in a similar manner to others in their community, and brings an improved sense of equality and self-worth.

Relationship Building

Earlier, we looked at how having the body and face completely covered, by wearing a burka, for example, had a negative impact in terms of creating a barrier and being preventative with respect to relationship building.

Modern Islamic fashions mean that women are able to connect and interact with people in every environment, from the workplace to the local store to chatting with parents outside of our child’s school. This has had a huge impact on the way in which Muslim women are viewed in their communities, and has also enabled them to confidently pursue a lifestyle where they are responsible for multiple roles. Even fairly recently, fashion created a barrier that meant a Muslim woman who held down a full time professional role, while also being a parent and having a busy social life, would have been unheard of.

While there have been a number of factors that have helped to change this, there is no denying that fashion has been one of, if not the biggest, influence.

As modern Islamic fashion continues to open doors and bring opportunities to Muslim women, in particular, throughout the world, its popularity is only going to grow even further.

Aab Collection is an e-commerce retailer selling Islamic clothing, such as kaftan dresses, predominantly aimed at Muslim women with multiple roles to play in today’s society. A kaftan dress is a tasteful and elegant option for a woman to wear to a job interview.

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